


Through This

by kosmickway (KMDWriterGrl)



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-09
Updated: 2014-02-09
Packaged: 2018-01-11 18:17:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1176298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KMDWriterGrl/pseuds/kosmickway
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU post-ep for “Lauren,” going with the assumption that Ian Doyle is caught and Emily is recovering in the hospital under the watchful eyes of the team.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Through This

**Author's Note:**

  * For [innerslytherin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/innerslytherin/gifts).



_Can I start again with my faith shaken? I can’t go back and undo this. I just have to stay and face my mistakes but if I get stronger and wiser I’ll get through this._

***

“Push, Emily,” Rossi coaxed. “Come on, you can do it.”

“You try it for awhile, see how you like it,” Emily ground out through clenched teeth. 

“You’re never going to get through this if you don’t work at it,” he replied. “Take a deep breath and keep going.”

Emily clenched her fingers tightly around the handles of the wheelchair and took another step forward, gritting her teeth against the pain that jarred through her body with every step. “You have no idea how much I hate you right now,” she groaned, fighting the impulse to bend over to rest. She was too stiff and sore to handle that much movement. 

“Oh, I’ve got a pretty good idea,” Rossi said. “Your face is a dead giveaway.” He circled around to the front of the wheelchair that Emily was pushing as she made her painful way down the hospital corridor. “But if you want to get back on active duty, you have to pass a physical and the DT course again. You’ll never get there if you let yourself languish.”

“There’s a difference between languishing and recovering,” Emily retorted, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. “I can’t even sit up in bed on my own yet.” She leaned heavily against the wall. “Jesus, Rossi, cut me some slack.”

“The sooner you get up, the sooner you start recovering.” He pointed to a chair at the end of the hallway. “Come on. You’re walking to it.”

“I can’t,” Emily hissed. “God, Rossi, I’m tired!”

“I know you are.” He laid a hand on her arm and knew a moment of concern when he felt it trembling under his fingertips. “But you’ll feel better once you manage this. You can do it.”

“I was stabbed through a vital organ with a piece of wood five days ago and you want me to walk down the hall like nothing’s happened?”

“No, I want you to walk down the hall like the Emily Prentiss who’s going to fight to rejoin her team. I want you to come back from this.” 

“Have I given you some indication I’m not? Are you worried I’m _languishing--_ ”she spat derisively, “--despondent and defeated because Ian Doyle got the drop on me? Because I can assure you I’m not.”

“Good. Prove it. Walk down the hall to the chair.”

“I hate you right now,” Emily said through gritted teeth, pushing the chair forward and taking a small step with it. “I hate you, hate you, hate you.”

“I know,” he said, falling into step just behind her, his hand hovering over the small of her back, ready to support her if she needed it. “Use it.”

“God, I hate it when you’re smug,” Emily spat, taking another step. “You act like you know what’s best for everyone. Doesn’t playing Yoda ever get old, Rossi? Don’t you ever get sick of being the Jedi master?”

“When 900 years old you reach, look this good you will not,” Rossi quipped in a passable Yoda impression. 

Emily turned toward him so quickly that he instinctively reached out and caught her around the waist. He half expected her to deck him, she was in that bad a mood. Instead a laugh burst from her throat and he found himself holding her as she leaned against him, weak from giggling. 

“How have I worked with you for almost five years and never knew you could do a Yoda impression?” she asked. She tried to straighten and winced. “Will you let me sit down for a minute if I promise to walk the rest of the way down the hall?” 

Rossi nodded and helped ease her down into the wheelchair’s seat. Emily laid her head back with a profound sigh of relief and closed her eyes.  

“It never came up.”

“What didn’t?” Emily asked. 

“Yoda. I can do a pretty decent Gollum, too.”

Emily laughed again then caught her breath at the pain. “I’d pay to see that.”

“Make it down the hall again tomorrow and I’ll do it for free.” He knelt beside the wheelchair. “I’m not trying to bully you, Emily. I’m trying to stir you up.”

“Don’t you think I’ve been stirred up enough, considering that I ran off hell bent for leather and tried to take on an IRA terrorist with a piece of wood to protect my team?”

“Well, when you put it like that …” Rossi covered her hand with his. “When an agent is injured in the line of duty, it changes them. And sometimes they end up in dark places, pits they can’t climb out of. I’ve seen it happen … I’ve seen it a lot. I don’t want that to happen to you. I want you to fight. I want to see that fire of yours stoked just under the surface. I want to feel its heat on your skin when I touch you.”

Emily opened her eyes and met his gaze. “Not fighting isn’t an option for me, Dave. I’ve fought my whole life. I’m not about to quit now.” 

“Good.” He stroked his thumb across her fingers. “I like your fire, Emily. I like your strength.”

“I like yours, too,” she admitted, smiling a little. “Even if you are a major pain in the ass about it sometimes.” She held out a hand. “Help me up?”

Rossi took her hands in his, steadying her as she got to her feet and slowly came around to the back of the wheelchair. She closed her fingers around the handles and took a deep breath … then let it out in a small gasp of surprise when Rossi closed his fingers over hers so that they were both gripping the wheelchair. 

“We’ll do this together,” he whispered in her ear. “Okay?”

“Yeah,” she replied, leaning against him just a little. “Together.” 

END. 

 


End file.
